The Calmness of a Storm
by MerchDoyle
Summary: Five years on, Reed is still doing experiments. One day, it goes fatally wrong and the only one who can help, is the one they all fear... ReedSueVictor triangle. Complete!
1. Prologue

Disclaimers: Low and behold, I do not own the F4 characters.

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Sue Storm's wedding dress had been white, a fact which left her open for criticism by her younger brother Johnny who wanted to know how could it have been white? Shouldn't it have been cream? Sue just laughed off his question, and playfully punched him in the shoulder. It was a nice moment between brother and sister; many moments like that would follow throughout the day.

Johnny had given her away, he walked down the aisle beside her, on her left side. Their father had been on her right. Behind her followed Alicia as her bridesmaid, with Ben Grimm and Reed Richards ahead of them at the end of the aisle.

Ben joked, in true Best-man fashion, that he had lost the rings, causing both Sue and Reed to panic, before her cracked up laughing and produced the rings.

The couple said their vows, and then Reed slipped a ring on her finger, and Sue then slipped one on his. They were now Mr and Mrs Richards, a deal that was sealed with a kiss.

Sue was smiling, as was Reed. Both were excited as each other about what the future held for both of them a couple, and as a member of the world most famous quadsome, 'The Fantastic Four.'

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A/n Well, there you go, the calm before the storm! (pardon the punn)


	2. The Letter

Disclaimers: Uhhh…. I don't own the F4 characters… 

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Sue let more tears flow down her face as she held her husband's hand, lightly fingering his white gold wedding ring.

The private room in the hospital was quiet, on account of the steady bleeping of the heart monitor wired into Reed. 'Stable' was how the doctor described his condition. Ben had shrugged at the mention of the word, 'stable' only meant his condition hadn't changed for a few hours. In fact, he hadn't improved at all since they'd brought him in.

It was Sue that found him lying on the floor of the laboratory. No-one knew what he had been doing, or about the experiment he was working on. He'd been working on something for the past few weeks, but had kept quiet about it. He had injected himself with a syringe, but a syringe filled with what?

Johnny had been sitting in the kitchen, Sue had just left him to take Reed a coffee. He hadn't been to bed that night, she'd assumed he'd gone for an all nighter. Johnny had told Ben he'd heard the cup hit the floor, and Sue call for help.

He'd found her kneeling next to Reed, who was lying on the floor. "He looked dead," Johnny had confessed to Ben as he'd told him what had happened.

Ben had raced back from the Baxter building as fast as his body had allowed him. He'd been with Alicia, it was their five year anniversary-dating wise, not marriage.

Johnny had joked as he was getting ready that it was time her was to make an honest woman of her. "You looked good in your suit at Sue's wedding," he'd offered in support. Ben smiled un-easily, and suggested that it too was time for him to think about settling down.

Johnny pointed out that teenage girls wouldn't find him attractive and loveable if he had a ring his finger.

These fun, laughable, occasions had only happened in the last twenty-four hours, but to the trio, it had felt like a lifetime away.

Reed's face was pale, and his eyes were sunken in, surrounded by dark circles. His normal flexible was taught like rubber, rather than it's regular elasticated form, and he was cold.

Sue was glued to the spot in the chair, and didn't notice Johnny behind her until she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Thought you might like some herbal tea," he offered gently.

She blinked away the tears in her eyes, and forced a small smile and said "Thank you," taking the plastic cup from him.

"Dunno how good it is," he said, "Came from a vending machine."

"It's fine," she relied, taking a sip and grimacing slightly.

"I didn't even know vending machines did herbal tea," Johnny had said, "Don't even think it is herbal…" he was babbling, he knew that, but he was nervous.

He turned on the sounds of heavy footsteps behind him, and saw Ben standing in the doorway. He signalled to him to come over, Sue had turned her attention back to Reed.

"You find something?" Johnny asked Ben. The Thing had been doing some digging in Reeds laboratory to see if he could find anything that made sense with his friend's condition. Ben decided it was best for him to do the snooping as opposed to Johnny, as he figured he knew more about Reed. The real reason was because he couldn't bare to see his friend lying in a hospital bed looking so helpless.

Ben nodded, "Yeah," he was silent a little. "It's not good," he confessed, and held up a piece of paper for Johnny to read.

"It's just a letter…" he said glancing at it.

"Read it!" Ben commanded, and Johnny did so. Too slowly for Ben's liking, "Down here," he commanded pointing at the end of the letter.

Johnny's eyes focussed on the signature, his eyes widened in a mixture of surprise, horror and astonishment. "No…" the young man whispered.

The orange man nodded, "Yeah…" he said. The letter was dated just a week before, and the letter signed 'Victor Von Doom.'


	3. Doom

Disclaimers: I don't own the F4 characters, but I'm working on my world domination project, so watch this space!

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Victor Von Doom had been living peacefully in Latveria for five years. After being encased in his metallic prison by the Fantastic Four, he'd been taken back to his home land where he was kept in a rubber like cell for three years, until psychiatric doctors had decided he was safe enough to be let out without hurting people.

He'd decided to use his powers for good rather than evil, secretly hoping if he turned over a new leaf then maybe, just maybe, she'd come back to him.

He sighed and rubbed bald head, as if she'd even find him attractive now… he had no hair, and was virtually all silver. His skin had long since fallen away to leave shiny metal underneath, he was like Ben Grimm, only not orange and rocky, silver and metally. His heart didn't even beat anymore, it just worked… it stopped beating over five years ago when he lost the woman he loved…

He had spent many nights following the same routine, finishing work at the power plant where he powered the generators that sent electricity to over a million homes. He would come back to an empty house, and spend the night alone, tumbling though his thoughts, and his memories of his days he worked alongside Sue. How closely they worked together, and the laughs they often shared.

Only when the letter had arrived, all that changed.

Victor stared at the letter he had received just over a month ago, it was from Reed Richards. He never thought he would even hear from him again, but there it was at the bottom of the letter, his signature in black and white.

Reed had written to him asking for his help, the person who bought about his downfall wanted his help. Victor had laughed a little when he'd read it, feeling powerful once more, only that feeling didn't last long. He felt a sharp pain in his stomach as he read of the marriage between Mr Fantastic and the Invisible Woman… He'd lost her for good… Or had he?

As he read on, he read that Reed and Sue were trying for a baby ('Maybe just to rub it in?' he'd asked himself). Only they were having problems… Sue was still fertile, they knew this because of her monthly cycle, only Reed wasn't. That's why he had written to Victor, asking him to help him come up with a treatment of some kind that could help. In return Reed was prepared to give him a rubber like suit so he could walk down the street again without being feeling like a freak. A luxury, he'd added, that Ben could not have.

This had made Victor laugh again, not because Ben was still suffering a little, although that did make him smile. No, he was laughing sarcastically at the fact that Reed seemed to have thought normality was a big prize to be awarded for giving him and Sue the happiness that could be only be felt with the birth of a child. This was happiness that Victor could never feel, not without Sue…

But still, he replied to Reed's letter, telling him he would help him in every way he could, and would accept the offer of the rubber suit.

Yet, unbeknown to Reed, a sinister plan was forming in Victor's mind… a very good plan in deed…


	4. Relative Room

Disclaimers: Still working on the global domination… so no, I don't own the F4 characters, so go sue some slanderous soul. (Like my alliteration?)

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Johnny's eyes focussed on the signature, his eyes widened in a mixture of surprise, horror and astonishment. "No…" the young man whispered.

The orange man nodded, "Yeah…" he said. The letter was dated just a week before, and the letter signed 'Victor Von Doom.' "It gets worse," Ben said.

"Worse?" the younger man echoed.

Ben nodded, and tugged on his arms motioned for him to come a little further away from the room Reed was in. He really didn't want Sue to heard any of this. When they were far enough away, he pulled out more sheets of paper, "I found more…" he said handing Johnny the papers he had in his hand.

Johnny sifted through the papers, "Have you read all these?" he asked, disliking the idea of having to read them all, due him being a slow reader. To his relief, Ben nodded, "And…?"

Ben took a deep breath, "It appears that Reed was working on a formula to help him and Sue conceive," he said slowly.

"What?" Johnny's eyes were confused.

Ben sighed, and nodded his head, "Yeah, I didn't know he was infertile either," he said. "He and Sue had been trying for a baby."

Johnny nodded, "That's why she's so down…" his statement was more of an observation than a question. "Poor Sue…" he said, feeling tears forming for his sister. "He hasn't told her about his plans?" he asked.

Ben shook his head, "It's not likely…," he said. "But that's not what the letter's are about," he said bringing attention back to their content. "Reed seems to be in contact with Victor because Victor is helping him with a formula of some kind…" he said.

Johnny shook his head and ran a hand through with blonde hair, "Why would he help Reed?" he asked. Ben was about to answer, then it dawned on him, "Oh," he said. "Strange how Victor helps, and now Reed is lying in a hospital bed half alive…"

Ben nodded, "What's worse is, I have no idea what he's taken," he confessed. "All the ingredients and chemicals… they're all in some kind of code," he pointed out a word equation to Johnny that made no sense.

"C-61?" the young man asked.

Ben made an expression that looked like he was trying to raise his eyebrows (he did this so often, it was an expression had called 'The Eyebrows').

The two men were silent for a second, "Do we tell Sue?" Johnny asked.

Ben shrugged, "I dunno…" he said. "She's gonna find out sooner or later…" he said, not knowing which he'd prefer. "Who do you think should tell her?"

Johnny was just about to volunteer, but he heard his sister's voice asking "Tell me what?" she was standing in the doorway of the relatives room.


	5. Sue

Disclaimers: I don't own the F4 characters, I am yet to win the lottery.

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Sue had been sitting at Reed's side holding his hand in her left, and the cup of very disgusting herbal tea in her right. It tasted foul, cheap and stale, but she didn't want to throw it away because Johnny had bought it for her. Still, he had gone with Ben somewhere, it was safe for her to go and find a vending machine and get a regular tea.

She kissed Reed's for head, whispering she'd be back in a few minutes. She didn't know if he could hear her, the doctors had said he might me. But she knew they didn't know anything about his condition, if anything she should have known more.

The first machine she'd found had an 'out of order' sign by the tea button. She cursed herself, she'd only seen it after she'd put in fifty cents, and the 'reject coins' button didn't work. Shrugging off her mistake, she went off in search for one without a sign, making a mental note to check the machines before putting in the money.

That was when she'd heard her brother's voice coming from the direction on the relatives room.

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"Tell me what?" she repeated, with a little force in her voice.

Ben looked at Johnny, he nodded. "You should sit down," he told his sister.

"Why?" she asked in a hard tone. Johnny knew that tone, she used it the day with father had told them to sit down before he broke the news of their mother's death.

He walked to her, and put took hold of her hand, leading her to a chair. Ben closed the door, then joined them.

"We know about Reed," her brother said slowly.

Sue nodded, she knew what he was referring to, "How did you find out?" she asked.

Johnny looked at Ben, who handed Sue the letters. "It appears he's seeking help from an old acquaintance," he tried to crack a joke, failed terribly.

Sue put a hand to her face, "No…" she said weakly reading the signature at the bottom of the first letter. Tears fell down her face as she saw the words on each sheet, her eyes only settling on one word - 'Doom.'

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a/n another shorty, next chappy will be longer :)


	6. Old Foe, New Face

Disclaimers: I don't own the F4 characters.

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It happened just as Victor had hoped, within 24 hours of him finding out that Reed was safely in a coma, Sue had appeared in the doorway of his office.

She had left a very reluctant Ben and Johnny in New York with Reed, and she had caught the first flight she could to Latveria. That was pretty easy seeing as she was the 'Invisible Woman,' she even got moved up first class. Normally she didn't like the special treatment, but right now she was happy being treated because of who she is.

What she wasn't happy about was the place she was right now, standing in a room with only her and Victor Von Doom. She had tried to get him to fly to America, she'd called, but he told her he'd more important things to worry about, such as providing a whole country with electricity.

"So, hand it over," Sue told him bitterly, she was referring to the antidote.

"No can do," Victor said in an apologetic tone, "Why would I make an antidote to something that Reed didn't want reversed?" he asked.

Sue shot a ball of energy at him, sending his careening into his desk.

"Now that's not very nice," he said composing himself. Sue braced herself for a retaliation, but it never came. "I'm reformed now," he said in a half mocking tone. "I won't hurt you…" he said.

"I'll kill you," Sue sneered.

Victor nodded, "Yes, you can do that," he said, "If you want…" he paused. "But then again, I'd be of no use to you if I'm dead," he said matter of fact-ly.

Sue felt tears sting her eyes, "What do you want from us?" she asked, her voice thick with un-shed tears.

Victor smiled, "I want you," he said simply. "It's only you I've ever wanted, more than all the money I had," he said slowly. "Reed Richards, what has he ever given you? Super powers?" he asked. "I could have given you anything, even the world," he said remembering the moment he was about to ask her to marry him, before Reed uttered four words himself ('The cloud is accelerating'). "Were you just playing with me? Was it the money that kept you with me?" he asked.

Sue hadn't said anything, just looked at him with a questioning look on her face.

"I built my empire up from the ground. I was a nobody from a country that no one had heard of, and I made myself someone," he said. "Do you know how it feels to lose the only things in your life that matter?" he asked.

Sue nodded, "I'm losing Reed," she said. "If you really care for me, you will help me so I don't lose him," she said letting her tears fall.

Victor looked like he was trying to smile, "Reed," he said in a dry tone, "is the one who lost it all for me," he said. "Granted, I should never have hurt all the people I did," he said. "But he made me into a laughing stock, and why? All because he wanted to help developing countries." He was silent for a second, and moved to a chair. "Tell me Sue, what is it with you Westerners who think you can help developing countries when you have so much crap going on in your own country? What makes you think you can help other countries when you can't help your own?" he challenged.

Sue shook her head, "What are you talking about?" she wanted to know.

"People are dying everyday in America, Britain, all over the world," he said. "People are being murdered, taking drug overdoses, and dying on the streets because they have no place left to go," he was becoming emotional. "Why are these people ignored? What makes the wealthy countries think they can help poorer ones when they can't help themselves?" he questioned.

Sue was silent, she knew what he was saying was true, but there was nothing she could do about. "I'm not here to discuss politics," she said. "I'm not here to discuss the ecosystem." Tear were falling now, "I want to help Reed," she said her voice cracking. Was she crying for herself? Reed? Or the people that Victor was talking about? She didn't know exactly, she was just crying uncontrollably.

"There are bigger things in this world than Reed, Sue!" Victor shouted at her, electricity shooting out of him as he temporarily lost control. "Why can't the four of you realise that?" he demanded.

Sue swallowed and tried to control herself, "Is that what you want?" she asked. "Will you give me the antidote if we do more to help our own people?" she was hopeful, "We can do that," she said.

Victor just stared at her, "I want you," he said. "You are all I have ever wanted," he said, "that and to see Reed suffer," he made the smiling face again. "I think I can get both, just by giving you the antidote," he stated, his lips curling into a familar evil smile.

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A/n sorry it's been a long time coming. I've damaged my left arm, and the nerves going to my fingers, so I'm doing a lot of one hand typing. So things are taking a little longer... sorry, but I will try my best!


	7. The Cure

Disclaimers: I don't own the F4 characters, in fact I don't own anything really…

Sue's eyes widened, "You want me to leave Reed for you?" she asked, then slowly shook her head.

Victor was nodding, "Yes," he said, and watched as her face crumpled and she sank to her knees, slowly becoming invisible. Yet, he could still here her sobbing.

Victor's eyes burned, he wandered if he was crying. He hadn't cried for years, he couldn't anymore. Yet if he was, why was he? He could have what he wanted right now, he had her in this very room.

Yet the sound of her sobbing was a sound he doubted he would ever get used to. Would she cry herself to sleep every night forever? Just an hour ago, he was ready for that, but now he wasn't so sure.

Victor felt something in his chest give, was that his heart? Did he actually have one that wasn't metal? He turned away from Sue, unable to meet her eyes. It hurt him that she was with Reed and not with him, but he knew deep down it would hurt him more to see her unhappy than to see her happy with someone else.

He walked slowly to cabinet he had on the other side of the room. He knew it was irresponsible to keep something so valuable in such an open place, but no one expects that. He hid money for years in that empty tin can in his cupboard, burglars always checked the safe.

He walked slowly to where he knew Sue was curled on the floor, and he sat down beside her. He took hold of her hand, which startled her. How did her know where it was? She was still invisible.

"Here," he said pulling her fingers open, and he placed a vial in it. "You don't have much time," he said, his voice sincere, she had never heard him talk to her without a trace malice in his voice.

Slowly she became visible, "How do I know this isn't a trick? How do I know this won't explode or something, or make him sick even more?" she challenged, "How do I know…" he cut her off.

"You don't know," he said, "Just like you didn't know Reed was still in love with you, just like you didn't know what would happen on the space mission", he paused and looked away. "Just like you don't know how much I love you," he said quietly.

"Victor…" she started, but she just waved her away. "I'm sorry…" he said sincerely.

"Go," was all he said to her, "Just go to him," without looking at her, he got up and walked to look at the view out of his window.

As he heard heard her walking away andn and the door open and close, a song played in his mind as he head the door closing. "When you love someone, you gotta let 'em go…" he spoke the words quietly.

The lights in the distant started flickering, he knew it was only a matter of time before they would go out, a little bit like Reed right now. "How ironic," he mumbled, and made his way the electricity centre to recharge the generators.

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A/n I think Victor needs a hug...


	8. Epilogue

Disclaimers: I don't own the F4 characters.

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Epilogue

I think I will just leave you with a scene that takes place a little over a year after Reed came out of hospital following his self inflicted near death experience.

It's a wedding scene, and yes, you guessed it, Ben and Alicia are finally getting married.

Ben is standing at the altar wearing a custom made tuxedo with his fellow heroes standing beside him acting as his best men.

Johnny winks at a red head sitting in the front row, and she smiled back at him and briefly looks as her wedding hand. She had a ruby and diamond ring on her wedding finger.

The music begins to play and the three men turn to look down the aisle. Sue and Alicia walk in together. Sue has the role of head bridesmaid, and is guiding Alicia down the aisle with the right arm.

Reed smiles as his wife, and his eyes fill with tears of happiness as he looks at the small child she is holding in her left arm.

As for the rest of the story, well I think Louis Sachar said it best when he wrote:

"This is pretty much the end of the story. The reader probably still has some questions, but unfortunately, from here on in, the answers tend to be long and tedious."

"You will have to fill in the holes yourself."

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A/n Thanks for reading!


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